When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the senior England squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and representing the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. The Cherries gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was a thing I really needed.
“Building some self-belief by returning and playing island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, remarked previously.
Less than three months later, he joined the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as strongly for his club, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” Scott stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
